In German, you can describe shades and hues by using prefixes like hell- (light) and dunkel- (dark), as well as specific words for common color variations. This helps you talk about colors more precisely, such as "hellblau" (light blue) or "dunkelgrün" (dark green).
Light Shades (helle Farbtöne)
Light shades in German are usually formed by adding the prefix hell- to the color stem. For example, hellrot means "light red."
<table>
<tr><th>German</th><th>English</th></tr>
<tr><td>hellrot</td><td>light red</td></tr>
<tr><td>hellblau</td><td>light blue</td></tr>
<tr><td>hellgrün</td><td>light green</td></tr>
<tr><td>hellgelb</td><td>light yellow</td></tr>
<tr><td>helllila</td><td>light purple</td></tr>
<tr><td>hellbraun</td><td>light brown</td></tr>
<tr><td>hellgrau</td><td>light gray</td></tr>
<tr><td>hellrosa</td><td>light pink</td></tr>
<tr><td>helltürkis</td><td>light turquoise</td></tr>
<tr><td>hellorange</td><td>light orange</td></tr>
</table>
Dark Shades (dunkle Farbtöne)
Dark shades are created with the prefix dunkel-, meaning "dark." For example, dunkelblau means "dark blue."
<table>
<tr><th>German</th><th>English</th></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelrot</td><td>dark red</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelblau</td><td>dark blue</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelgrün</td><td>dark green</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelgelb</td><td>dark yellow</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkellila</td><td>dark purple</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelbraun</td><td>dark brown</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelgrau</td><td>dark gray</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelrosa</td><td>dark pink</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkeltürkis</td><td>dark turquoise</td></tr>
<tr><td>dunkelorange</td><td>dark orange</td></tr>
</table>
Choose the correct German word for: dark green
dunkelgrün
"Dunkelgrün" means "dark green." "Hellgrün" is "light green," "grün" is "green," and "olivgrün" means "olive green."
Common Hues and Variations
Some colors have unique names for particular shades rather than just using hell- or dunkel-.
<table>
<tr><th>German</th><th>English</th></tr>
<tr><td>rosa</td><td>pink</td></tr>
<tr><td>magenta</td><td>magenta</td></tr>
<tr><td>bordeaux</td><td>burgundy</td></tr>
<tr><td>ocker</td><td>ochre</td></tr>
<tr><td>beige</td><td>beige</td></tr>
<tr><td>türkis</td><td>turquoise</td></tr>
<tr><td>lavendel</td><td>lavender</td></tr>
<tr><td>marineblau</td><td>navy blue</td></tr>
<tr><td>karminrot</td><td>carmine red</td></tr>
<tr><td>zitronengelb</td><td>lemon yellow</td></tr>
</table>
Choose the correct German word for: lemon yellow
zitronengelb
"Zitronengelb" means lemon yellow, a bright, slightly greenish-yellow. "Hellgelb" is light yellow, "dunkelgelb" is dark yellow, and "gelb" is yellow.
Metallic and Special Shades
These words describe colors that appear metallic or have a special sheen.
<table>
<tr><th>German</th><th>English</th></tr>
<tr><td>silber</td><td>silver</td></tr>
<tr><td>gold</td><td>gold</td></tr>
<tr><td>kupfer</td><td>copper</td></tr>
<tr><td>bronze</td><td>bronze</td></tr>
<tr><td>perlmutt</td><td>pearlescent</td></tr>
<tr><td>metallisch</td><td>metallic</td></tr>
<tr><td>glänzend</td><td>shiny</td></tr>
<tr><td>matt</td><td>matte</td></tr>
<tr><td>schimmernd</td><td>shimmering</td></tr>
<tr><td>glitzernd</td><td>glittering</td></tr>
</table>
Describing Colors More Precisely
You can also use the following adjectives to make your color descriptions more vivid.
<table>
<tr><th>German</th><th>English</th></tr>
<tr><td>kräftig</td><td>strong, vivid</td></tr>
<tr><td>blass</td><td>pale</td></tr>
<tr><td>leuchtend</td><td>bright, luminous</td></tr>
<tr><td>gedämpft</td><td>muted</td></tr>
<tr><td>warm</td><td>warm</td></tr>
<tr><td>kalt</td><td>cool</td></tr>
<tr><td>intensiv</td><td>intense</td></tr>
<tr><td>zart</td><td>delicate</td></tr>
<tr><td>kräftig</td><td>strong</td></tr>
<tr><td>pastellfarben</td><td>pastel-colored</td></tr>
</table>
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
